ATLANTA (April 3, 2021) – NaLyssa Smith of Baylor University is the 2021 Wade Trophy winner and headlines the 2021 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America team, announced today by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
The prestigious Wade Trophy is presented annually to the WBCA’s NCAA Division I Player of the Year. The Coaches’ All-America team is composed of the 10 best players in Division I regardless of position as chosen by the division’s head coaches. This is the first team since 2011 on which no institution placed more than one player.
Here are the 2021 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-Americans:
|
Player |
Institution |
Class |
Position |
|
Aliyah Boston |
University of South Carolina |
Sophomore |
Forward |
|
Paige Bueckers |
University of Connecticut |
Freshman |
Guard |
|
Caitlin Clark |
University of Iowa |
Freshman |
Guard |
|
Chelsea Dungee |
University of Arkansas |
Redshirt Senior |
Guard |
|
Dana Evans |
University of Louisville |
Senior |
Guard |
|
Naz Hillmon |
University of Michigan |
Junior |
Forward |
|
Rhyne Howard |
University of Kentucky |
Junior |
Guard |
|
Aari McDonald |
University of Arizona |
Senior |
Guard |
|
NaLyssa Smith |
Baylor University |
Junior |
Forward |
|
Kiana Williams |
Stanford University |
Senior |
Guard |
Smith, the Big 12 Player of the Year, led Baylor to a 28-3 record, the Big 12 regular season and tournament championships, and the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Championship. The 6-foot-2 junior forward from Converse, Texas, averaged 18 points and 8.9 rebounds per game while shooting 56.1 percent from the field and 79.2 percent from the free-throw line. She added 38 steals on defense to go with 26 blocks for the Lady Bears.
Smith is the third Lady Bear to win the Wade Trophy. Brittney Griner, a two-time winner, received the honor in 2012 and 2013. Odyssey Sims was presented with the award in 2014.
"On behalf of the WBCA, I am honored to present women’s basketball’s highest player honor, the Wade Trophy, to NaLyssa Smith," said WBCA Executive Director Danielle Donehew. "NaLyssa had an outstanding season and helped take our game to an exciting new level. She showcased her remarkable skill and ability to produce results while bettering her teammates in each game, and represented Baylor with class, captivating fans and influencing the next generation of student-athletes.
“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-21 college women’s basketball season was the most challenging and uncertain ever. To NaLyssa, the nine other Coaches’ All-Americans, and the more than 5,000 additional Division I women’s basketball players, as well as the 1,300 coaches who mentored, taught and coached you through it, we say thank you for your commitment, dedication and perseverance.”
The Wade Trophy — now in its 44th year — is the oldest national player of the year award in college women’s basketball. It is named in honor of the late, legendary Delta State University head coach Lily Margaret Wade, who won three consecutive national championships with the Lady Statesmen. It was first awarded in 1978 by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), now known as SHAPE America. The WBCA has presented the Wade Trophy to its NCAA Division I Player of the Year since 2001. Since the inception of the award, freshman players have not been eligible.
Here are the 42 student-athletes who received 2021 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches’ All-America honorable mention:
|
Player |
Institution |
|
|
Shakira Austin |
University of Mississippi |
|
|
Janelle Bailey |
University of North Carolina |
|
|
Kierstan Bell |
Florida Gulf Coast University |
|
|
Grace Berger |
Indiana University |
|
|
Charli Collier |
University of Texas |
|
|
Zia Cooke |
University of South Carolina |
|
|
Lorela Cubaj |
Georgia Institute of Technology |
|
|
Elissa Cunane |
North Carolina State University |
|
|
Rennia Davis |
University of Tennessee |
|
|
Anna DeWolfe |
Fordham University |
|
|
Kysre Gondrezick |
West Virginia University |
|
|
Aleah Goodman |
Oregon State University |
|
|
Vivian Gray |
Texas Tech University |
|
|
Arella Guirantes |
Rutgers University |
|
|
Anastasia Hayes |
Middle Tennessee State University |
|
|
Mya Hollingshed |
University of Colorado |
|
|
Rickea Jackson |
Mississippi State University |
|
|
Ashley Joens |
Iowa State University |
|
|
Morgan Jones |
Florida State University |
|
|
N'dea Jones |
Texas A&M University |
|
|
Micaela Kelly |
Central Michigan University |
|
|
Lotta-Maj Lahtinen |
Georgia Institute of Technology |
|
|
Ayoka Lee |
Kansas State University |
|
|
Charlisse Leger-Walker |
Washington State University |
|
|
Selena Lott |
Marquette University |
|
|
Natasha Mack |
Oklahoma State University |
|
|
Tiana Mangakahia |
Syracuse University |
|
|
Diamond Miller |
University of Maryland |
|
|
Que Morrison |
University of Georgia |
|
|
Olivia Nelson-Ododa |
University of Connecticut |
|
|
Michaela Onyenwere |
University of California, Los Angeles |
|
|
Charisma Osborne |
University of California, Los Angeles |
|
|
Ashley Owusu |
University of Maryland |
|
|
DiDi Richards |
Baylor University |
|
|
Myah Selland |
South Dakota State University |
|
|
Destiny Slocum |
University of Arkansas |
|
|
Jenna Staiti |
University of Georgia |
|
|
IImar'I Thomas |
University of Cincinnati |
|
|
Unique Thompson |
Auburn University |
|
|
Jasmine Walker |
University of Alabama |
|
|
Maddy Westbeld |
University of Notre Dame |
|
|
Christyn Williams |
University of Connecticut |
|
About the WBCA
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to the organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. Visit WBCA.org for more details about the association.
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